The Violin Channel recently caught up with Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music violin pedagogue, Kathleen Winkler.

In a VC-exclusive blog, Kathleen discusses how winning the inaugural 1980 Carl Nielsen International Violin Competition, in Denmark help shaped her professional career.

“My dream had always been to be a concertmaster or to play in a string quartet. In fact, my first job out of college was doing both – serving as concertmaster for a major metropolitan orchestra as well as playing in the orchestra’s resident string quartet. But by age 27, through a series of naive missteps, I found myself instead working for a small (1400 student) private university music department where I taught mostly non-music majors courses like music theory and history, ear training, and chamber music (although there were not enough interested students to form even one meaningful ensemble), as well as being asked to create a university/community orchestra which I was then expected to conduct. For this I received $14,000 a year – before taxes – which even back then was a pittance.

Each day, hours were spent navigating these seemingly insurmountable responsibilities. I struggled as I had never taught classroom subjects before. Time on my instrument was drifting out of reach and eventually, I could feel my role as a violinist evaporating. A dear friend at the time, familiar with my dire state of affairs, suggested that I enter a competition to jump start my playing. Although I had entered two or three regional competitions as a graduate student, I had never been drawn to that circuit and, in fact, had never participated in a major solo violin competition. Seeing no other immediate option to improve my lot, I settled on entering my friend’s suggestion of the Carl Nielsen International Violin Competition, held in Odense, Denmark.

Participating in my first international violin competition at age 29 was entirely about reconnecting to my love of playing the violin; winning was not my preoccupation. Using the opportunity to reclaim my creative spirit, which had been slowly withering away under the effects of countless hours spent correcting four part harmony exercises, was my projected goal. Even being at the very top end of the competition’s age limit and knowing that I would be up against violinists close to half my age didn’t deter me from my deep yearning to reconnect to what I had always believed would be my lifelong partner. I did not fit the profile of the typical competitor in either age or mind set.

And that is my point in sharing this story – that competitions can be used for a variety of purposes and defined by how one choses to inwardly package them. While competition formats may vary, we cannot modify their basic nature. What can be refashioned is how we choose to both approach and utilize the experience.

Winning the Carl Nielsen International Violin Competition was the game changer in my career. I truly believe that having that accomplishment on my resume set me on a entirely new, and deeply appreciated, track, allowing doors to crack open wide enough so that I could get a renewed foothold in the profession. If I try to retrace my steps from then to now, it would still carve a circuitous path; my learning curve was very steep and quite honestly, even under the best of circumstances, the road to success is rarely a straight trajectory. However, having learned from the mistakes of my past, armed with the accomplishment of winning a competition, and, most importantly, feeling musically alive in my heart once again, I embarked on redefining myself as both a musician and as a person – at age 30. For that I thank Carl Nielsen.

-Kathleen”

A graduate of Indiana University and the University of Michigan, Kathleen Winkler is a former 1st prize winner at the Carl Nielsen International Violin Competition | She has held prestigious teaching positions at Oberlin Conservatory, the Cleveland Institute of Music, Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music – and has served a Violin Professorship on faculty at the Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music for the past 21 years

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 18 | We’re here this evening at the NYU Skirball Center for Performing Arts in New York City for a live taping of actor Alec Baldwin’s celebrated ‘Here’s the Thing’ podcast - with superstar violinist Itzhak Perlman | Presented by WNYC and WQXR, tonight’s program includes an intimate conversation between the famed actor and violin virtuoso - plus a special performance by students from The Perlman Music Program

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 18 | We’re here this evening at the NYU Skirball Center for Performing Arts in New York City for a live taping of actor Alec Baldwin’s celebrated ‘Here’s the Thing’ podcast - with superstar violinist Itzhak Perlman | Presented by WNYC and WQXR, tonight’s program includes an intimate conversation between the famed actor and violin virtuoso - plus a special performance by students from The Perlman Music Program

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 18 | We’re here this evening at the NYU Skirball Center for Performing Arts in New York City for a live taping of actor Alec Baldwin’s celebrated ‘Here’s the Thing’ podcast - with superstar violinist Itzhak Perlman | Presented by WNYC and WQXR, tonight’s program includes an intimate conversation between the famed actor and violin virtuoso - plus a special performance by students from The Perlman Music Program

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - FEBRUARY 17 | We’re coming to you from the Curtis Institute of Music, in Philadelphia, this afternoon for a masterclass with Orion String Quartet cellist Timothy Eddy | Presented by the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Timothy today working through the details of Elgar’s Cello Concerto with Curtis Institute student, Oliver Herbert - Cellist

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 15 | We’re coming to you from the Manhattan School of Music, in New York City this afternoon for a masterclass with Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Concertmaster, Vesko Eschkenazy | Working through the details today of the 1st movement of Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Major - with Manhattan School student, violinist Ahra Cho

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 15 | We’re coming to you from the Manhattan School of Music, in New York City this afternoon for a masterclass with Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Concertmaster, Vesko Eschkenazy | Working through the details today of the 1st movement of Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Major - with Manhattan School student, violinist Ahra Cho

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 15 | We’re coming to you from the Colburn School in Los Angeles this afternoon for a special performance and student Q&A session with the VC Artist Dover Quartet

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 15 | We’re coming to you from the Colburn School in Los Angeles this afternoon for a special performance and student Q&A session with the VC Artist Dover Quartet

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 15 | We’re at Wigmore Hall in London this evening for a very special Razumovsky Academy Young Artists Recital | Founded by cellist Oleg Kogan, the Razumovsky Academy provides an environment in which gifted young musicians are given the opportunity to collaborate closely with some of the world’s finest artists and teachers | Tonight’s program featuring student violinists SongHa Choi, Coco Tomita and Claire Wells - with acclaimed Russian pianist Olga Sitkovetsky

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 15 | We’re at Wigmore Hall in London this evening for a very special Razumovsky Academy Young Artists Recital | Founded by cellist Oleg Kogan, the Razumovsky Academy provides an environment in which gifted young musicians are given the opportunity to collaborate closely with some of the world’s finest artists and teachers | Tonight’s program featuring student violinists SongHa Choi, Coco Tomita and Claire Wells - with acclaimed Russian pianist Olga Sitkovetsky

HELSINK, FINLAND - FEBRUARY 13 | We’re coming to you from the 1st International CelloFest in Helsinki, Finland this week | Founded by cellists Martti Rousi and Laura Martin in collaboration with The Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, today’s programme featuring a masterclass with Stockholm University School of Music Professor, Ola Karlsson on the great orchestral cello solos

HELSINK, FINLAND - FEBRUARY 13 | We’re coming to you from the 1st International CelloFest in Helsinki, Finland this week | Founded by cellists Martti Rousi and Laura Martin in collaboration with The Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, today’s programme featuring a masterclass with Stockholm University School of Music Professor, Ola Karlsson on the great orchestral cello solos

BLONAY, SWITZERLAND - FEBRUARY 13 | We’re coming from the ‘Triple Viola Masterclasses’ at the Hindemith-Institut in Blonay, Switzerland this week | High in the Swiss alps and overlooking lake Geneva, this week’s intensive solo viola repertoire sessions led by viola Professors Nobuko Imai, Peijun Xu and Veit Benedikt Hertenstein

BLONAY, SWITZERLAND - FEBRUARY 13 | We’re coming from the ‘Triple Viola Masterclasses’ at the Hindemith-Institut in Blonay, Switzerland this week | High in the Swiss alps and overlooking lake Geneva, this week’s intensive solo viola repertoire sessions led by viola Professors Nobuko Imai, Peijun Xu and Veit Benedikt Hertenstein

HELSINKI, FINLAND - FEBRUARY 11 | We’re coming to you from the 1st International CelloFest in Helsinki, Finland this week | Founded by cellists Martti Rousi and Laura Martin in collaboration with The Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, today’s programme featuring a student masterclass with acclaimed French cello baroque specialist Bruno Cocset

HELSINKI, FINLAND - FEBRUARY 11 | We’re coming to you from the 1st International CelloFest in Helsinki, Finland this week | Cellists Jian Wang, VC Young Artist Jonathan Roozeman - Cellist and Alexander Warenberg and pianist Mikael Kemppainen hard at work on the details of David Popper’s ‘Requiem’ for 3 Cellos and Piano

HELSINKI, FINLAND - FEBRUARY 11 | We’re coming to you from the 1st International CelloFest in Helsinki, Finland this week | Founded by cellists Martti Rousi and Laura Martin in collaboration with The Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, today’s programme featuring 17-year-old American cellist Sujari Britt performing Bach’s 1st Solo Cello Suite

HELSINKI, FINLAND - FEBRUARY 11 | We’re coming to you from the 1st International CelloFest in Helsinki, Finland this week | Founded by cellists Martti Rousi and Laura Martin in collaboration with The Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, today’s programme featuring a matinée performance of Bach’s 3rd Cello Suite by VC Young Artist Aurélien Pascal

HELSINKI, FINLAND - FEBRUARY 11 | We’re coming to you from the 1st International CelloFest in Helsinki, Finland this week | Founded by cellists Martti Rousi and Laura Martin in collaboration with The Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, today’s programme featuring a student masterclass with acclaimed French cello baroque specialist Bruno Cocset

HELSINKI, FINLAND - FEBRUARY 11 | We’re coming to you from the 1st International CelloFest in Helsinki, Finland this week | Founded by cellists Martti Rousi and Laura Martin in collaboration with The Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, University of the Arts Helsinki, today’s programme featuring a matinée performance of Bach’s 4th Cello Suite by 18-year-old Italian cellist Luca Giovannini

HELSINKI, FINLAND - FEBRUARY 11 | We’re coming to you from the 1st International CelloFest in Helsinki, Finland this week | Founded by cellists Martti Rousi and Laura Martin in collaboration with The Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, today’s programme featuring a matinée performance of Bach’s 3rd Cello Suite by VC Young Artist Aurélien Pascal

HELSINKI, FINLAND - FEBRUARY 11 | We’re coming to you from the 1st International CelloFest in Helsinki, Finland this week | Founded by cellists Martti Rousi and Laura Martin in collaboration with The Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki, University of the Arts Helsinki, today’s programme featuring a matinée performance of Bach’s 4th Cello Suite by 18-year-old Italian cellist Luca Giovannini

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 10 | We’re coming to you from the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles today for the 2019 61st Annual Classical Music Grammy Awards Ceremony | The 2019 Grammy for the ‘Best Orchestral Performance’ awarded to conductor Andris Nelsons and the Boston Symphony Orchestra Orchestra for their recording of ‘Shostakovich Symphonies No 4 & 11’ on the Deutsche Grammophon label

VC BACKSTAGE

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 18 | We’re here this evening at the NYU Skirball Center for Performing Arts in New York City for a live taping of actor Alec Baldwin’s celebrated ‘Here’s the Thing’ podcast - with superstar violinist Itzhak Perlman | Presented by WNYC and WQXR, tonight’s program includes an intimate conversation between the famed actor and violin virtuoso - plus a special performance by students from The Perlman Music Program

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 18 | We’re here this evening at the NYU Skirball Center for Performing Arts in New York City for a live taping of actor Alec Baldwin’s celebrated ‘Here’s the Thing’ podcast - with superstar violinist Itzhak Perlman | Presented by WNYC and WQXR, tonight’s program includes an intimate conversation between the famed actor and violin virtuoso - plus a special performance by students from The Perlman Music Program

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 16 | We’re coming to you from the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Convention, in San Antonio, this week | The Bam Cases team on-hand this week to assist with all instrument case enquiries

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 16 | We’re coming to you from the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Convention, in San Antonio, this week | Over 29,000 music teachers from all around the world in attendence this week - for best professional development workshops and exhibits of the latest music education products and services

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 16 | We’re coming to you from the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Convention, in San Antonio, this week | Over 29,000 music teachers from all around the world in attendence this week - for best professional development workshops and exhibits of the latest music education products and services

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 16 | We’re coming to you from the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Convention, in San Antonio, this week | Over 29,000 music teachers from all around the world in attendence this week - for best professional development workshops and exhibits of the latest music education products and services

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 16 | We’re coming to you from the Texas Music Educators Association(TMEA) Convention, in San Antonio, this week | The Thomastik-Infeld team on-hand this week to assist with all string enquiries

LONDON, U.K. - FEBRUARY 15 | We’re at Wigmore Hall in London this evening for a very special Razumovsky Academy Young Artists Recital | Founded by cellist Oleg Kogan, the Razumovsky Academy provides an environment in which gifted young musicians are given the opportunity to collaborate closely with some of the world’s finest artists and teachers | Tonight’s program featuring student violinists SongHa Choi, Coco Tomita and Claire Wells - with acclaimed Russian pianist Olga Sitkovetsky

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 10 | We’re coming to you from the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles today for the 2019 61st Annual Classical Music Grammy Awards Ceremony | VC Artists Ariana and Ayane from the Aizuri Quartet nervously awaiting the announcements | The VC Artist Aizuri Quartet are today nominated for the ‘Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance’ Grammy for their newly-released album ‘Blueprinting’ | Good luck girls!!

NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 7 | Backstage at David Geffen Hall in New York City with VC Artist Bomsori Kim 김봄소리 and her entire #TeamBomsori management team from Liu Kotow International Management & Promotion and Kirshbaum Associates - following her successful debut performance with the New York Philharmonic this evening | Tonight’s ‘Lunar New Year’ celebration, led by conductor Kahchun Wong, featuring Li Huanzhi’s ‘Spring Festival Overture’, the US Premiere of acclaimed Chinese composer Tan Dun’s Violin Concerto ‘Fire Ritual’ - and Stravinsky’s ‘Fire Bird Suite

NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 7 | Backstage at David Geffen Hall in New York City with VC Artist Bomsori Kim 김봄소리 and her entire #TeamBomsori management team from Liu Kotow International Management & Promotion and Kirshbaum Associates - following her successful debut performance with the New York Philharmonic this evening | Tonight’s ‘Lunar New Year’ celebration, led by conductor Kahchun Wong, featuring Li Huanzhi’s ‘Spring Festival Overture’, the US Premiere of acclaimed Chinese composer Tan Dun’s Violin Concerto ‘Fire Ritual’ - and Stravinsky’s ‘Fire Bird Suite

NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 3 | We’re at Carnegie Hall in New York City this afternoon with superstar violinist Itzhak Perlman, Maestro Yoel Levi and the Israel Philharmonic - התזמורת הפילהרמונית הישראלית | Presented by the American Friends of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, today’s program featuring Pártos’ ‘Concertino for Strings’, Beethoven’s G Major and F Major ‘Romances’, Kreisler’s ‘Liebesleid’ and John Williams’ ‘Theme from Schindler’s List - plus Tchaikovsky’s majestic 6th Symphony

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 30 | Prodigious performance today at The Morgan Library & Museum in New York City by 18-year-old South Korean VC Young Artist Violinist SooBeen Lee with pianist Dina Vainshtein | Presented by the Young Concert Artists, today’s program featuring Beethoven’s Violin Sonata No. 8 in G Major, Bartok’s ‘Rhapsody’ No. 1 and Saint-Saens Violin Sonata in D Minor (Pictured with Young Concert Artists Founder, Susan Wadsworth)

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 28 | We’re coming to you from Philadelphia’s The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts today for the final dress rehearsal with conductors Zhang Liang and Kensho Watanabe - with combined members of both The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Shanghai Philharmonic | This evening the two conductors will perform side-by-side in a special ‘Chinese New Year’ performance to celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and China

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 28 | We’re coming to you from Philadelphia’s The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts today for the final dress rehearsal with conductors Zhang Liang and Kensho Watanabe - with combined members of both The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Shanghai Philharmonic | This evening the two conductors will perform side-by-side in a special ‘Chinese New Year’ performance to celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and China

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 28 | We’re coming to you from Philadelphia’s The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts today for the final dress rehearsal with conductors Zhang Liang and Kensho Watanabe - with combined members of both The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Shanghai Philharmonic | This evening the two conductors will perform side-by-side in a special ‘Chinese New Year’ performance to celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and China

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 28 | We’re coming to you from Philadelphia’s The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts today for the final dress rehearsal with conductors Zhang Liang and Kensho Watanabe - with combined members of both The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Shanghai Philharmonic | This evening the two conductors will perform side-by-side in a special ‘Chinese New Year’ performance to celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and China

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 28 | We’re coming to you from Philadelphia’s The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts today for the final dress rehearsal with conductors Zhang Liang and Kensho Watanabe - with combined members of both The Philadelphia Orchestra and the Shanghai Philharmonic | This evening the two conductors will perform side-by-side in a special ‘Chinese New Year’ performance to celebrate the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and China